North Jakarta Administration to Form KSP for Marunda Flat Inhabitants

Some residents who live in C Cluster, Marunda Flat, North Jakarta, indebted to loan sharks. They are entangled in debt offered by a mobile bank to start a business and develop it after they were relocated from Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, last year.

For the capital, we could ask support from some government banks. We’ll also give aid through skills training to help them open new businesses, such as catfish farming or agriculture

When relocated, most of the residents, who at that time did not have permanent jobs, were trying to adapt to survive. They were also started to trade, which made them had to owe money for capital to mobile bank loan sharks.

Prayitno (34), one of the residents who lives in Block C2 Marunda Flat, admitted that he was having difficulties when he wanted to start his business. “Two months after I was relocated, I opened pecel lele (fried catfish served with chili sauce) stall. To add my capital, I borrowed Rp 500 thousand from a mobile bank with agreement that I have to pay Rp 25 thousand everyday for a month,” he uttered, Saturday (4/19).

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Instead of getting income, Prayitno got entangled in debt which forced him to borrow money again to continue his business. Until now, he still owes money to the loan shark. “What else can I do? We never get aid, so we had to borrow money from mobile bank. I still owe Rp 500 thousand until now,” he said.

Ella (24), Cluster C1 Block C1 Marunda Flat inhabitant, also experienced similar thing. When relocated, she opened a grocery shop and now she still has debt to the mobile bank. “Initially, I owed Rp 500 thousand. But then I had to owe again, and my debt still hasn’t paid off until now. How can it possibly paid off, while my shop’s average gross income is only Rp 50 thousand per day and cut for installment payment Rp 25 thousand,” she lamented.

Responding this matter, North Jakarta Mayor, Heru Budi Hartono, acknowledged that some of the relocated residents in Marunda Flat are in debt to mobile bank. Because of that, he will facilitate the residents to form savings and loan cooperative, so those who run micro businesses would not be indebted to loan sharks. “ For the capital, we could ask support from some government banks. We’ll also give aid through skills training to help them open new businesses, such as catfish farming or agriculture ,” he stated.